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Eurostat: Slovakia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Romania - the lowest job vacancy rates in the EU
In the first quarter of 2021, the job vacancy rate was 2.1% in the euro area, up from 1.9% in the previous quarter and 1.8% in the first quarter of 2020, according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
The job vacancy rate in the EU was 2.0% in the first quarter of 2021, up from 1.8% in the previous quarter and in the first quarter of 2020.
In the euro area, the job vacancy rate in the first quarter of 2021 was 1.9% in industry and construction, and 2.2% in services. In the EU, the rate was 1.9% in industry and construction, and 2.1% in services.
Member States
Among the Member States for which comparable data are available (see country notes), the highest job vacancy rates in the first quarter of 2021 were recorded in Czechia (5.0%), Belgium (3.5%) and the Netherlands (3.0%). In contrast, the Member States with the lowest vacancy rates were Greece (0.3%), Spain (0.7%), Slovakia, Bulgaria, Portugal and Romania (all by 0.8%).
Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, the job vacancy rate fell in eight Member States, remained stable in five Member States and increased in twelve Member States. Data were not available for France (first quarter of 2020) nor Ireland (first quarter of 2021). The largest decreases were recorded in Czechia and Luxembourg (both -0.7 pp) and Sweden (-0.4 pp). The largest increases were recorded in Italy (+0.8 pp), Lithuania (+0.5 pp) and the Netherlands (+0.4 pp).